Samklef Alleges Fela Kuti 'Stole' Afrobeat from Orlando Julius

Record producer, Samuel Oguachuba, popularly known as Samklef, has claimed that Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is not the pioneer of Afrobeat as widely believed. The Molowo hitmaker alleged that Fela “stole” the idea of the genre from another veteran musician, Orlando Julius Ekemode. Samkleff made the allegation amid the ongoing feud between his former associate Wizkid and Fela’s family. He also claimed that Orlando taught Fela how to play instruments. Sharing a photo of the legendary Orlando Julius on his X handle, the producer wrote, “This is the man that created afrobeat! His name Orlando Julius Ekemode! Fela stole his style!” He added, “Fela stole Orlando Julius Ekemode, the original afrobeat founder’s style. He also taught Fela how to play sax! “The problem with Nigeria is generally, we lack proper documentation. I go start to Dey teach una history.” Contrary to Samkleff’s claims, it is widely believed that Fela created Afrobeat by blending funk, jazz, salsa, calypso, and West African rhythms.